Marcell Speculation

[Bart S]

Fully expected the future Bulls player to leave at the end of his contract. Disappointed he is not honouring in it. He could have gone home in another season and stayed there for the rest of his life.
Anyway, pressure is on him now to deliver top class performances until the end of the season and show the right attitude. If he can help Ulster to win the Pro14 trophy this season then that would certainly ease the disappointment.

[Dave]

Yes, Ulster should have ascertained what MC’s likely reaction to a global pandemic would be and released him two years ago for nothing if the answer was a concern.

WTF are you on about?

[Bart S]

Yes, Ulster should have ascertained what MC’s likely reaction to a global pandemic would be and released him two years ago for nothing if the answer was a concern.

It is difficult to know how much the pandemic played in this decision. As far as I am aware he went home for a good part of the lockdown so he was one of the lucky ones - lots of people haven’t had that opportunity.

I don’t have him in the John Afoa/Jono Gibbes category - but am a bit disappointed in his decision.

[Dave]

Some of you cheeseballs are so green it's unbelievable. You might actually bring the shaft to your own shafting. It's now completely unreasonable to expect a player to fulfill his contract that he agreed to, is it? No gun pointed to his head when he signed it but you say the words 'family' and 'homesick', everyone goes awwwwww...now if you add in COVID and FCUKING PANDEMIC!!! You get bonus sympathy points. He looked to be in SA during lockdown. I think it's too easy to be using that without full disclosure on how the bulls deal transpired.

Petrie has stated this was player driven AND bulls. The bulls have been name dropping him for weeks knowing legally they can't talk to him directly. There are always ways round this through other channels, family members etc. This reeks.

I am disappointed in Marcell but more annoyed with Ulster. Bulls are scumbags. They claim they want to become like Barcelona or Juventus. Wrong sport for a start. I hope to see them at ravers next season. I also hope they are shyte. Bull-shyte. Haha I have achieved comedy.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

...now if you add in COVID and FCUKING PANDEMIC!!! ...

I've heard about Covid - it's been on the news from time to time, but I never heard about thon other pandemic.

If they're trying to create a vaccine for that, where can I sign up to get on a clinical trial?

Preferably in the placebo group.

Even the missus can't complain if it's for medical research, shirley?

[lovesthehardground]

People on here are too soft. There's so much sympathy for this guy because he's homesick. Then there's talk of what professionalism means and how everyone here would change jobs for a better offer. Well two things.
If MC was such a good professional he would honour his contract. That's what is expected of 'professionals'. This is a very selfish decision and I for one would pi$h him out the door straight away. You don't want any bad apples in the barrel. Imagine being beside this guy at half time when you're 12-10 down and about to play up the hill into the wind. Would you truly trust him to put a shift in?!
Secondly professionalism has ruined rugby. It was once a game that you would encourage kids to play. They would have learned so many values. Honesty, team work, reward for effort.......etc. Now all they would learn is greed and self promotion. That's the example being set by this lauded professional.

[big mervyn]

Yes, Ulster should have ascertained what MC’s likely reaction to a global pandemic would be and released him two years ago for nothing if the answer was a concern.

Reaction to a global pandemic my absolute hole. What about all the rest of us getting on with it ffs. Anybody in a care home here might as well have been in feckin SA for the past year as far as their relatives are concerned

I'm afraid I'm only getting increasingly irritated by this. Yes, if he doesn't want to stay let him feck off but make the severance as punitive as his contract allows.

[justinr73]

A bit of faux outrage has certainly brought the forum back to life.

The irony is that whilst all this has being going on, Marcell has played with more ferocity, commitment and impact than he ever has before.

A bad apple my hole and nor is he the only person to reassess this year by any means.

The chances are that had he not retuned to SA for an extended period, allowing better access to him for tapping up purposes, a reminder of what the sun look likes and a proximity to family in times of an international health emergency, than he probably would have been at Ulster for another year.

Twelve months is a long time in rugby. Bulls would have signed someone else, youngsters came through and injury can finish you in a heartbeat.

In just about every other sport, fans don’t seem to hold the players to higher standards than they would expect of, and demonstrate, themselves. Contracts, be it employment contracts or marriage contracts, get broken. They exist, as much as anything else, as a mechanism to allow for financial redress.

My disappointment is not in Marcel himself but in losing the team’s talisman. However, things quickly move on and nobody is bigger than the club.

Whether or not Ulster should have allowed him to leave depends if you’re pragmatic or dogmatic but, in any rational analysis, it doesn’t take much to outweigh the ‘benefits’ of keeping a player who wants to leave and will, come what may, for nothing in twelve months anyway.

So thanks for the memories Marcell. And for livening up the forum a bit.

[Dharper]

MCs performance levels have been ridiculous during this extended period of speculation - literally weeks of MOTMs....no trips home missing fixtures, no dips in form, no twinges effecting selection, no behind the scenes disruptive attitude. All of which could have benefited him getting out the door. I expect him to continue to tear it up til end of season.

So I have narrowed the speculation re replacement to 4 players based on KOTH & Justin73.
Can I confirm a few things please to make a final choice (in my head)?

KOTH has this fella occasionally operated in the 2nd row but primarily backrow?
Justin is he an out & out 8, or can he play across the backrow?
Is this fella currently playing for his home province, or at a 2nd province?

[justinr73]

The reach and attraction of Ulster go a hell of a lot further than Dublin

I should admit that my sources had indicated it was Mata. I think it very nearly was.

[Dharper]

Ok that’s one out - Josh Murphy, not Deegan. (More based on Koths clue)
Ok.....I suspect I know the province.....down to 3 players.
Come on KOTH answer my q’s please?

[launish116]

Ok that’s one out - Josh Murphy, not Deegan. (More based on Koths clue)
Ok.....I suspect I know the province.....down to 3 players.
Come on KOTH answer my q’s please?

Who have you in the running?

The reach and attraction of Ulster go a hell of a lot further than Dublin

I should admit that my sources had indicated it was Mata. I think it very nearly was.

Did consider him myself as a good fit with our open game.

Realistically as much as we’ll miss Coetzee, there’s an opportunity for a decent operator and a decent squad player/prospect with his salary cash. Think depth is more important than all our eggs in one basket going forward.

[Dave]

...now if you add in COVID and FCUKING PANDEMIC!!! ...

I've heard about Covid - it's been on the news from time to time, but I never heard about thon other pandemic.

If they're trying to create a vaccine for that, where can I sign up to get on a clinical trial?

Preferably in the placebo group.

Even the missus can't complain if it's for medical research, shirley?

I'm not so sure. That was a beery eyed surprise for me to read that this morning. It was a new variant of craft beer I was sampling. It has left me a little strained. I have had my first jab already. It didn't knock me out so I think I will go the distance.

[Dave]

MCs performance levels have been ridiculous during this extended period of speculation - literally weeks of MOTMs....no trips home missing fixtures, no dips in form, no twinges effecting selection, no behind the scenes disruptive attitude. All of which could have benefited him getting out the door. I expect him to continue to tear it up til end of season.

So I have narrowed the speculation re replacement to 4 players based on KOTH & Justin73.
Can I confirm a few things please to make a final choice (in my head)?

KOTH has this fella occasionally operated in the 2nd row but primarily backrow?
Justin is he an out & out 8, or can he play across the backrow?
Is this fella currently playing for his home province, or at a 2nd province?

Justin73 is the shyte on KOTH's shoe. He is probably neither called Justin nor actually 73. His sauce is HP and 'bro, trust me'. Best to ignore his BS. KOTH is an information god.

[Starsky]

It isn’t too long ago an Ulster head coach and DoR held meetings with a well known international with time to run on his contract, but ultimately baulked at following through on a deal when the player’s home union played hardball over the compensation required to release him from his contract.

We haven’t been whiter than white ourselves in the past, nor can you be when headhunting. I do wonder what would happen if Marcel has another bad injury before the end of the season. Will the Bulls be as keen to take him home? I would hope that Ulster have a watertight clause in any agreement reached that his contract terminates no matter what the circumstances are.